Family Tree
by darkgirl3
Summary: Caroline doesn't just lock the door when Tyler shows up at the end of Crying Wolf. Things go differently. I do not own read and review. enjoy!


**AN: I saw this episode and had to change the ending. It's been done I know, but instead of a magazine Caroline has something else she's looking at. I own nothing it belongs to The CW, if did this ep would never of happened. **

**Family Tree**

Caroline was looking at the photo album in her lap, all of the pictures in it had Tyler and her. She'd cried after he left, because she was so mad at him, but she loved him so damn much too. It was different than what she'd felt for Matt. Damon had called her making sure she was safe after what had happened to him and Alaric that night. She'd told Damon she was happy they were alive, but Tyler was confused, she'd been there too.

After Matt had broken up with her she'd spied on her friends for Katherine. She still felt guilt over that; she just wished she'd listened when Tyler had pleaded with her to talk in the Grill that afternoon. It changed though; Tyler had saved Elena and Stefan tonight. He had showed where his loyalty really stood when he'd let Stefan go. She knew he was scared and lost right now. She told Damon not to touch Tyler or he'd answer to her. She knew it was more of Elena telling him that then her. Damon had complained about everybody telling him to let it go.

She'd hung up and got the album out looking at it, she'd put it together one weekend, Tyler had helped her even though he'd protest at first. She wanted to have memories because she didn't want to ever forget this time her life, even though she'd live forever. She had the music on low, but with her hearing she could hear every word of it.

She heard something at her front door thinking it was her mom she went to it looking out. She locked it not noticing Tyler standing there. She was about to back away when she felt something, she knew that pull. It only happened when he was around. Caroline unlocked the door and she caught up with Tyler before he got out her driveway. She saw the duffel bag he had, and she knew she had to say something, stop him even. There was no way she could let him go, not like this, she was mad, but that would leave. If he left then she'd never get to tell him what she'd been thinking when she'd been in that cage before everything happened.

It was cold outside, but she didn't really care, she didn't want him to go. Tyler was standing in front of her and she was trying to think of anything to say to him. There weren't any words that came to her mind besides the song she'd just heard. It was probably cheesy, but she just started singing having heard the song three times in last three days.

Caroline looked at him hoping that it would get him to understand what she was trying to say to him even if she didn't know how to put it in her own words.

_**You didn't ask for this, nobody ever would  
>Caught in the middle of this dysfunction<br>It's your sad reality, it's your messed up family tree  
>And all you're left with all these questions<strong>_

_**Are you gonna be like your father was and his father was?  
>Do you have to carry what they've handed down?<br>**_

She wasn't going to let him interrupt her either because she didn't know if she'd have the will to finish this if he talked. "I don't have all those answers for you Tyler, but running away is not the answer, and do not interrupt me here, because somewhere inside you you know I am right," she said. If she had to she'd find the answers that he wanted all the ones he couldn't ask because Mason was dead now. Jules was not his answer. She took another breath before she kept singing the song, she had to get through to him some how. Because what his father and Uncle were was not going to be him, she'd make sure of it. She'd stay with him every time he turned; take the good with the bad.

_**No, this is not your legacy, this is not your destiny  
>Yesterday does not define you<br>No, this is not your legacy, this is not your meant to be  
>I can break the chains that bind you<br>**_

She couldn't take away his curse, but she could take away his fears of being like the others. She was stronger than a werewolf, she could protect him. "You hurt me, and I know that now it hurt so much more because that kiss meant more than I said it did. I was pissed off at you, I told you that we weren't friends any more, but it's a lie, I've lied, and we've broken the trust, but I swear to you, no more lies if you stay I won't lie any more, even if it hurts us more," she said.

Caroline wasn't sure she seemed like a complete crazy person right now or not, but he hadn't said a word yet, which was a good thing, because she had to finish this before she ran out nerve.

_**I have a dream for you, it's better than where you've been  
>It's bigger than your imagination<br>You're gonna find real love and you're gonna hold your kids  
>You'll change the course of generations<strong>_

_**Oh, this is not your legacy, this is not your destiny  
>Yesterday does not define you<br>No, this is not your legacy, this is not your meant to be  
>I can break the chains that bind you<br>**_

Tyler couldn't stop listening to her, he wanted to tell her to stop, that it didn't matter any more. He'd told Stefan he was leaving when they buried Brady's body. It was the only way to keep everybody safe that meant him too. She was actually singing to him though, in the middle of her driveway, cold as it was she was singing to him. He'd only heard her sing when she'd been full of alcohol before, this was different.

He'd heard the song she was singing to him, he'd almost turned it off, but damn if it hadn't been what he'd been feeling. He'd already wrote his mom that note, she'd probably read it. He had told Matt how he felt about Caroline. He had fallen in love with his best friend's ex-girlfriend. Jules was waiting on him, but damn if he didn't want go any more. Caroline was always the answer, at least now she was, there was hope.

_**'Cause you're my child, you're my chosen  
>You are loved, you are loved<br>And I will restore all that was broken  
>You are loved, you are loved<br>**___

Caroline changed the world Child to Love instead hoping that he would understand what she was saying with this. Just not that she was his friend, she'd tell him if he didn't get it, but right now all that mattered was getting him to stay, he had to stay. Nobody got what she was going through, it had been hundred plus years since either Stefan or Damon turned. They had had each other with this, but she had been alone, and she'd made sure Tyler wasn't alone. She didn't want him to go because it felt like she was being abandoned by yet another person. He'd be alone too because Jules would never be her, she wouldn't hold him the way she had.

She'd risked her own life to keep him safe that night and she fell in love with him in the last month. She said it in her head over and over more times than she could think, but she hadn't said it out loud. She had to stop lying to herself; Matt was the safe place, even if she was no longer a normal teenager. Tyler was the one she was meant to be with, it just took him becoming a werewolf to even see him in her radar area.

_**And just like the seasons change winter into spring  
>You're bringing new life to your family tree now<br>Yes, you are, you are  
><strong>_

"You're not going to be like your dad was, Tyler," She said, "You are different, I have seen this other side of you, you care, and you're not that bully any more," she didn't stop at that she kept naming the changes he had gone through, not just becoming a werewolf.

At some point, he didn't know when he'd sat the duffel bag down on the driveway, he was waiting for her to finish, but she kept going. He wasn't going to stop her though, in this rant of hers she'd convinced him to stay. He hadn't known who to trust any more, but it was clear he'd sided with the wrong person. How was he supposed to leave when all he wanted was right here? He heard Caroline finishing out the song, but it wasn't a need to any more, he still listened, because he loved hearing her sing.

_**Oh, oh, ooh  
>Oh, this will be your legacy, this will be your destiny<br>Yesterday did not define you  
>Oh, this will be your legacy, this will be your meant to be<br>I can break the chains that bind you**_

_**And just like the seasons change, winter into spring  
>You're bringing new life to your family tree now<strong>_

Caroline looked up at him hoping that she'd gotten through to him, because she didn't know any other way. "I did the best thing that I could to stop you from turning, when I heard Matt and you I came into the room, and I stopped him from doing something that would make that happen, but I never saw Sarah coming, Tyler," She hadn't, that was the biggest surprise she'd gotten. She'd tried to warn him, but it happened so fast. She knew his first reaction was to defend, and if Sarah never came at him, if Katherine had never gotten in the way, if Mason hadn't shown up none this would happened. "I can't change what happened with Mason, Tyler, I didn't know what was going to happen to him, I wasn't there when he died,"

"I need to make a phone call, and then we can talk," Tyler said looking at her; he had to let Jules know he wasn't coming. If he went there she'd try and talk him into going again. He didn't want that, he just wanted to find a place he fit in.

"You can use the phone in the house," She said, "I promise what I said Tyler, no more lies, even if it hurts both us, I'll tell you, because, Jules might known he was dead, doesn't mean she knows everything,"

Caroline moved closer to him wrapping her arms around his neck, she was so happy he wasn't going to leave town. If she had to, she'd compel his mom to forget if he said good-bye to her. His mom actually liked her; she still remembered her thanks for helping Tyler out after everything that had happened this year.

It took him few seconds to hug her back, he was still hurt by all the lies that he had heard. It was going to take time for that, but starting over wasn't good enough either. If they did that then he wouldn't have his best friend. In life you got hurt, you found out the hard way about things. Forgiveness had to go both ways though, he'd hurt her just as much by not helping her. "I'm sorry to, Caroline, I shouldn't have slammed you against your car, I should let you explain," she'd tried to get him to understand, but he'd just slammed her against her car with his full force. He had seen her tears starting to form, but he hadn't let her talk.

She pulled away looking at him, "first things first, that phone call, then we talk, my mom's not going be home tonight, I know that you helped Stefan save Elena, that's a start, Tyler, you are good, we all loose our way, but we find it again," she took his hand before grabbing his bag, "Damn, did you pack all you owned in here," she said lifting it up, trying to take away some of the tension.

He took the bag from her following her up to the house, he'd have damage control with his mom after while, but right now he just had to stay here. Maybe if he stayed things would be okay, running as she had said wasn't the answer. Elena had told him about everything, while Stefan had buried Brady's body.

He only hoped that she wouldn't end up dead, he'd known her all his life. They weren't as close as he was with Caroline; however Elena was still somebody he cared about. When Stefan told him what Brady and Jules were going to do to break the curse he'd felt sick. If living with painful transformations every month meant his friend lived, he'd bare them. He knew if he had Caroline there then he could make it through anything.

**THE END**


End file.
